Happy Monday everyone. In case you missed it at this past weekend's Green Drive Expo, we wanted to let you know that the RAV4 EV Charge-to-Charge Tour has begun! It will be on the road for two weeks traveling to select California locations offering you all a chance to drive the RAV4 EV and interact with our host, Graham Hill. Visit http://www.toyota.com/rav4ev/tour to follow the tour, view the content from each stop, and see if the tour will be stopping near you! Best, Erica Gartsbeyn Prius Product Manager Toyota USA
Is the RAV4 EV a California only product or will it be available to us oil and cattle barons in Texas?
Will there be more details somewhere about the schedule for each stop? How many vehicles will be on hand for test drives? I'm looking at Toyota RAV4EV Charge-to-Charge Tour and I'd be going to Palo Alto as Alameda's too far, but I'm not sure when to be there and when it ends?
Its a California only compliance product. The Tesla X should be selling in Texas in 2 years. I know some local businesses that have put in reservations for the X, planning to use it as a delivery van. Hopefully Toyota will expand the RAV4, but as now no plans.
Since it is mostly Tesla innards, I doubt Toyota will bother expanding beyond California. Until Toyota does a BEV in house, the rest of the country won't see one. Well, likely won't. Ford does offer the Focus BEV outside Ca. They just aren't motivated to sell it.
Toyota's motivation is compliance with the ZEV mandate. They get credits they can bank in California now. From the outside it looks like they are trying to spend as little as possible to comply. Zevs bump up in 2015, but the big numbers needed start in 2018. Calfornia gutted the 25000 FCV in 2012-2014, so we will see what happens with the mandates for 2015-2017 and 2018-2021. Toyota does have an in house BEV, but is likely far behind in technology compared to the rav4 bev. It makes perfect sense that toyota buys engining from Tesla, as the old automakers lack the speed of development. We may see tesla design like porsche design in the future, with toyota doing their own manufacturing. There is that substanciated rumor that toyota is looking to produce the gen IV prius in north america, and is looking for suppliers. This included toyota building or buying lithium batteries and motors in north america. That may mean a push of less expensive to produce BEV and phevs. Ford is a different case. They wold like to sell the focus BEV, but just don't see much of a market right now with the leaf selling so poorly. They just don't think discounting will do it. This was a rapid time to market car using Magna. Tesla wasn't as far along back then. Ford was the first to produce the flat bottom of the chasis battery pack in the transit connect, but unfortunately their assembler hit financial troubles. My bet would be ford already has designs for a focus type car with a flat pack, instead of the pack that needs to compromise the trunk of the current focus bev. It doesn't have the resources of a toyota though, so this isn't going to get manufactured until Ford sees a pure bev market.
I agree with that. They always claimed the Focus was designed with Hybrid and BEV in mind. Hopefully their R&D money was well spent on the Energis coming out.
Sorry gang, I've been away from PC for a couple days. I think the next opp for the ride and drive is in Santa Monica at the Alt Car Expo 9/28 adn 9/29. There are a few vehicles at each location with the ride and drive. Hope that helps. Best, Erica Gartsbeyn Prius Product Manager Toyota USA
